Green had an assist and played 23:02 Tuesday against the Columbus Blue Jackets, and could have been injured when he was hit hard behind the Washington net by the Blue Jackets' Blake Comeau 8:06 into the third period. However, Oates said it could have happened on a "bump" he took earlier in the game.

Green has 11 points -- all assists -- and a minus-6 rating in 19 games. He also leads the team with an average ice time of 24:18 per game.

"One of the things we talked to him about is playing him too much, where maybe he is a little fatigued and he doesn't see a guy coming as fast as he should," Oates said. "It's one of the things we're trying to monitor. Spread the minutes out so we don't put that much pressure on him."

He's only 17 but he can see the ice so well and he moves the puck and goes to the open ice all the time, so I just think he's a player that is ready to play in the NHL. I'm really looking forward to coaching someone like this.

— U.S. National Junior Team coach Ron Wilson on Auston Matthews, the projected No. 1 pick of the 2016 NHL Draft